BELGIAN FLAG INCIDENT, MALMEDY.

asked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the hauling down of the Belgian flag at Malmédy on the 20th July by order of the town commandant, General Hyslop, so as not to hurt German feelings; and whether this officer has been ordered to desist in the future from similar action, seeing that Malmédy has been assigned to Belgium by the Peace Treaty?

Captain GUEST (Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)

The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, British Army of the Rhine, has forwarded a report of this incident to the War Office, which goes to show that the published accounts of it are not accurate. It was only by a misunderstanding that the flag in question was hoisted in the first instance. The flag was not hauled down by the direct order of General Hyslop, but was taken down on the expiration of the period for which it was intended to remain up. It is the considered policy of our military authorities in the occupied territory to prevent the display of any form of partisan feeling before such territory is formally handed over and evacuated by our troops. Special regard for German susceptibilities does not enter into the question at all. As regards the latter part of the question, Section 34 of the Peace Treaty contains a proviso regarding Malmédy which gives the population the right to appeal to the League of Nations as to the future ownership of this area.

May Iask whether his attention has been called to the discussion which took place in the French Chamber, in which the Minister for French Foreign Affairs agreed and admitted that the incident was as stated in my question, and how is it that the hon. Gentleman now says that it was not so?

Captain GUEST

The Debate referred to in the French Chamber had not come before my notice before I prepared this answer, but the telegram from our representative in Brussels, and also the accounts published in Belgium of this incident, are in direct conflict with those of our own General Officer on the spot.

What in the world is meant by saying that no signs of partisan feeling are to be shown in the occupied territories? Does it mean that no preference for the Allies over our enemies is to be shown?

Captain GUEST

This is not a question of showing feeling as between the Allies and our enemies. It is a case of the display of flags as between the Allies. This particular territory, under the League of Nations, would probably go to Belgium if the population decided accordingly.